Two men accused of plastering swastikas across the walls of a synagogue before attempting to set it on fire were allegedly motivated by hate.
Adam Moule, 33, and Leon Emmanuel Sofilas, 37, were arrested almost two weeks after the January 11 attack on Newtown Synagogue, in Sydney’s inner west.
The pair were denied bail in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday with a magistrate deeming the ongoing threat to the community was unacceptable.
However Magistrate Greg Grogin heard it is the alleged offenders who are now at risk, with both being subjected to threats in custody, and Sofilas nicknamed “Nazi” by other inmates after word spread he is a white supremacist.
Sofilas’ lawyer Steve Mav told the court his client had twice been violently attacked by large groups of men leaving him heavily traumatised.
“The inmates somehow got word … that this man is a white supremacist,” Mr Mav told the court.
“His nickname by some of the inmates is ‘Nazi’.”
In denying bail, Mr Grogin described the alleged offences as “abhorrent” and said they were of great concern to the court and no-doubt the community.
“It is said that this offence was a hate-motivated crime,” the magistrate said.
Both men have extensive criminal histories, including violence and breaches of bail and domestic violence orders, the court was told.
Mr Grogin noted the attack on the synagogue appeared to have been planned ahead of time, having been carried out between 4am and 5am, “under the cloak of darkness”.
An exterior wall of the synagogue was spray-painted with 10 red swastikas and the building briefly set alight, echoing a spate of similar anti-Semitic incidents and spurring a major crackdown by authorities to track down those responsible.
The men allegedly bundled together sticks and branches which they unsuccessfully attempted to light using a clear accelerant, the court was told.
Following the attack, police shared CCTV of the incident showing two hooded figures who they believed to be involved, with one riding a mountain bike and the other a motorised scooter.
NSW Police prosecutor Peter Boctor told the court Moule and Sofilas had been recognised by police from previous interactions and the case against them is a strong one.
He added the offences were “committed with the motivation of a hatred of a particular group of people”.
Moule’s lawyer Jenni Bridges argued he was vulnerable in custody, adding that his father had recently died while he was in custody and that he was unable to attend the funeral.
“He is an Indigenous man with significant mental health issues,” she said.
Moule was arrested at a property on January 21, several hundred metres from Newtown Synagogue and was briefly treated in hospital before being charged with arson and property damage-related offences, as well as possessing suspected stolen bank cards and having a cannabis plant.
Sofilas was arrested at an hotel in inner-city Pyrmont about 1pm on January 23, during which officers used a Taser to apprehend him and he was treated by paramedics before being taken to a local police station.
Mr Mav told the court Sofilas was tasered 11 times during the arrest, however the court was told police facts make no mention of that.
He is facing charges of arson and property damage, as well as knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public, to which the court was told he intends to plead not guilty.
The matter is due to return to court on April 3.
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